News

According to a lifetime mortgage lender, one in five of their new equity release plans in Q1 were taken out by homeowners with properties worth over £550,0001.  When asked why they were releasing equity, 22% of customers said they planned to spend the unlocked cash on improving their home. Less than 20% of borrowers wanted […]

Since being launched on 6 April 1999 as successor to PEPs and TESSAs, the Individual Savings Account (ISA) has become an integral part of the UK savings and investment landscape.  Worth celebrating  By any measure, the humble ISA has been a huge success. The latest HMRC figures show that more than 22 million UK adults […]

Does your investment portfolio suffer from too much ‘home bias’? It’s natural for investors to stay close to home when thinking about investing, contemplating well-known UK companies or UK-focused funds rather than looking further afield. But if your portfolio becomes too heavily concentrated in the UK, you risk missing out on valuable diversification benefits and […]

Are you looking forward to a long holiday this summer? Don’t spoil the fun and relaxation; make sure you leave your home fully insured.  Inform your insurance provider  You may think that it doesn’t make a difference whether you go on holiday for two weeks, a month, or more. However, most insurers require you to […]

Are you a magpie investor?  Almost one in ten (9%) adults are. These so-called magpie investors buy luxury items hoping for an increase in value and an attractive return, according to new research1. The assets invested in include jewellery, watches, collectibles, classic cars, art, wine, whisky, and accessories such as clothes and handbags. Magpie investors […]

Football presenter Jeff Stelling has warned people to be on the ball and check their pension protection in a new campaign by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).  Every year, the FSCS receives thousands of claims from people who have lost money from their pensions when their financial providers have gone out of business. The […]

At times in the past two years, it seemed to some that inflation would never come down. Double-digit inflation became routine. Now, with price rises back near normal levels, optimism is returning to financial markets.  Disinflation diaries  Inflation has fallen well below the multi-decade highs witnessed in many countries since 2022. In response, central banks […]

Dividend investors have been rewarded so far in 2024, with payouts from UK shares rising by 4.9% in the first three months of the year compared with the same period in 20231.  The data tracks dividend payouts from 900 UK companies and comes as good news for income seekers. Computershare upgraded their headline forecast from […]

Do you have hopes to buy? Whether you’re looking to get on, move up or down the ladder, your property dreams are possible with a little preparation. Here’s how you can get yourself mortgage-ready this summer.  Check your credit score  Lenders will inspect your credit report for evidence that you can meet the mortgage repayments. […]

This year, summer brings hope of a better financial future as inflationary pressures recede and the economy continues to grow. It could therefore be an ideal opportunity to prioritise a range of pension-related issues in order to ensure brighter days do lie ahead.  Pension withdrawals up  Many people have faced significant financial challenges over the […]